I9I4] Clarence J. West 253 



per acetate gives a violet red. It also gives salts with picric acid, 

 platinic chloride and hydrochl- >ric acid. The styphnate f orms aggre- 

 gates of red prisms, which may be used for identification purposes. 

 The hydrochloride forms long olive brown needles. 



The two Compounds have also been obtained from hemopor- 

 phyrine, one of the decomposition products of the coloring matter 

 of the blood, hemin. From a consideration of the reactions of 

 hemin and its decomposition products, Willstätter suggests the fol- 

 lowing as working formulas for etiophylline and etioporphyrine.^^ 



CH=CH 



I I 



CHsC— CH C C 



II >^ K I 



CH3CH1C— C \ C CH 



CH3CH2C=C \ / C==CCH2CHi 



>N— Mg— N<^ 



CH»C=C C==CCHj 



CH» CH3 



Etiophylline, C3iH34N4Mg 



CH=CH 



I I 



CHsC— CH C C 



II >'^ 



N^ 



CHsCHiC— C C CH 



>C C<C ! 



CHsCHsC^^C C=CCH2CH, 



j \nh HN<^ ' 



CH3C=C c==CCHj 



I I 



CHj CH3 



Etioporphyrine, C3iH3gN4 



Phytol.^- Phytol is the characteristic alcoholic component of 

 Chlorophyll, comprising about one third of the molecule. It is split 

 off by the enzyme, chlorophyllase, or by hydrolysis with alkali. It 

 is an unsaturated, primary alcohol of the fatty series, having the 

 composition, C20H40O, and from its reactions probably has the Con- 

 stitution : 



31 Willstätter and Fischer: Zeit. f. physiol. Chem., 87, 423 (1913)- 



32 Willstätter, Meyer and Huni : Ann. d. Chem., 378, yz (iQio). 



